Switch Audio File Conversion Software

Switch Audio File Converter SoftwareFile:Switch Audio File Conversion Software Official Logo.jpg

Developer(s)| NCH Software
Initial release| 2003 (2003)
Stable release|

5.22 / February 2018; 8 years ago (2018-02)

Written in| C++
Operating system| Windows, Mac, Android
Available in| English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean
License| Proprietary Software
Website| www.nch.com.au/switch/index.html

Switch Audio File Converter Software is an audio file conversion software published by NCH Software available for Windows, macOS and Android operating systems. Top 10 Reviews considered Switch the best soft audio converter available as recently as early 2017.[1] While there are many options for audio file conversion, Switch is still considered one of the most stable and comprehensive multi format audio file converters available.[2]

## Contents

* 1 History
* 2 Features
* 3 Users
* 4 Controversy
* 5 Audio file formats
* 5.1 Input
* 5.2 Output
* 6 See also
* 7 References
* 8 External links

## History

Switch was first released in 2003 as a C++ Windows application, and was written to address the growing demand for converting audio files between formats due to a proliferation of new formats hitting the market competing with legacy formats at the time. FLAC, AAC, Ogg and other lossless formats were becoming more popular in the early 2000s, so software such as Switch was needed to help users move audio files from one device to another and migrate old legacy audio formats into more efficient modern formats. The ability for a computer user to convert audio files becomes critical when they are unable to edit or use a particular audio file format due to limitations within their software or hardware platforms. Switch gives users the ability to convert WAV, MP3, WMA, M4A, Ogg, AVI, MID and most other audio file formats[3][4] (40+ formats supported, see charts below).

## Features

Switch will convert playlists and extract audio files from DVDs and video files, normalize audio during the conversion process and will preserve music tags if the file formats support them. It also supports multi-file batch processing, and a command line mode[5] for automated file conversions. Some products available at the time of Switch's initial release only supported converting a single file in command-line mode, and Switch was designed to create a more streamlined approach to the audio format conversion process.

## Users

Switch is widely used by audio enthusiasts (professionals, prosumers, and home users) and currently has over 3 million downloads through CNET.[6] Educational institutions often recommend Switch as a tool for their students that need to manipulate audio files for cross-platform utilization.[7]

## Controversy

Previously, Switch and other NCH products came bundled with optional browser plugins like the Conduit[8] and Chrome toolbars, which sparked complaints from users and triggered malware warnings from AV software companies like Norton and McAffee. NCH has since removed all toolbars, browsers, and third party app offerings in all program versions released after July 2015.[9]

## Audio file formats

### Input

Switch supported input container formats  Audio Extension  | Windows | Mac | Android

|
|
|

.aac* (not aacPlus)  | Yes | Yes | Yes
.3gp | Yes | Yes | No
.act/rcd/red (newer format versions not supported)  | Yes | Yes | No
.aif/aiff/aifc  | Yes | Yes | Yes
.amr | Yes | Yes | Yes
.ape | Yes | Yes | No
.au | Yes | Yes | Yes
.asf | Yes | Yes | No
.avi | Yes | Yes | No
.caf | Yes | No | Yes
.cda  | Yes | No | No
.dct  | Yes | Yes | No
.ds2 | Yes | Yes | No
.dss | Yes | No | No
.dvf (Not all dvf recorders are supported)  | Yes | No | No
.flac | Yes | Yes | Yes
.flv | Yes | Yes | No
.gsm  | Yes | Yes | Yes
.m3u | Yes | No | Yes
.m4a | Yes | Yes | Yes
.m4r | Yes | Yes | Yes
.mid (General MIDI only)  | Yes | No | No
.mod  | Yes | Yes | No
.moh  | Yes | Yes | No
.mov | Yes | Yes | No
.mp2 | Yes | No | No
.mp3 | Yes | Yes | Yes
.mpc | Yes | Yes | Yes
.mpga (mpeg audio)  | Yes | No | No
.mpg/mpeg | Yes | Yes | No
.msv (Not all msv recorders are supported)  | Yes | No | No
.ogg | Yes | Yes | Yes
.pls | Yes | No | Yes
.ra (ram, rm, rmj)  | Yes | No | No
.raw | Yes | Yes | Yes
.rss | Yes | Yes | Yes
.shn | Yes | Yes | No
.spx | Yes | Yes | Yes
.voc  | Yes | Yes | No
.vox | Yes | Yes | Yes
.wav (pcm, adpcm+, aLaw, uLaw, and others)  | Yes | Yes | Yes
.wma | Yes | Yes | No
.wmv | Yes | Yes | No
.wpl | Yes | Yes | Yes
.wv | Yes | Yes | No

### Output

Switch supported output container formats  Audio Extension  | Windows | Mac | Android

|
|
|

.aac* (not aacPlus)  | Yes | Yes | Yes
.ac3 | Yes | No | No
.aif/aiff/aifc  | Yes | Yes | Yes
.amr | Yes | Yes | Yes
.ape | Yes | No | No
.au | Yes | Yes | Yes
.caf | Yes | Yes | Yes
.flac | Yes | Yes | Yes
.gsm  | Yes | Yes | Yes
.m3u | Yes | Yes | Yes
.m4a | Yes | Yes | Yes
.m4r | Yes | Yes | Yes
.mov | No | No | Yes
.mp3 (mpeg layer 3)  | Yes | Yes | Yes
.mpc | Yes | Yes | Yes
.ogg | Yes | Yes | Yes
.pls | Yes | Yes | Yes
.raw | Yes | Yes | Yes
.rss | Yes | Yes | Yes
.spx | Yes | Yes | Yes
.vox | Yes | Yes | Yes
.wav (pcm, adpcm+, aLaw, uLaw, and others)  | Yes | Yes | Yes
.wma | Yes | Yes | No
.wpl | Yes | Yes | Yes

## See also

* Transcoding
* Audio file formats
* Codec
* Comparison of free software for audio
* List of music software

## References

1. ↑ "#1 Gold Award". http://www.toptenreviews.com/software/multimedia/best-audio-converter-software/.
2. ↑ "Alternatives to Switch". http://alternativeto.net/software/switch-sound-file-converter/.
3. ↑ "Switch Supported File Formats". https://www.nch.com.au/switch/kb/1405.html.
4. ↑ "Switch Supported File Formats". http://filehippo.com/download_switch_audio_file_converter/.
5. ↑ "FAQ Command Line Usage". https://www.nch.com.au/switch/kb/750.html.
6. ↑ "CNET Downloads". http://download.cnet.com/Switch-by-NCH-Software/3000-2140_4-10327491.html.
7. ↑ "University at Albany". http://library.albany.edu/libdru/imc/pdf/Convert_WMA_to_MP3s_WAVs_on_Mac.pdf.
8. ↑ "NCH toolbars".
9. ↑ "NCH Software Safety Guarantee".

## External links

* Official website

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